Article: 2 Reviews of “Christmas tales”. Nov.30th – Dec.4th 2012

Alexander Rybak – Christmas tales

Alexander Rybak – Christmas tales

Grappa/Music co-operators

In a way it is not surprising, Alexander Rybak takes on a bunch of the American ”pop”- Christmas songs. He has told us, both verbally and musically, that part of his heritage is from a tradition, which the gentlemen Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra helped to establish. This means we are served quite american versions of, among others, “The Christmas Song”, “Winter Wonderland”, “Let it Snow”, “I’ll be home for Christmas” and “Silent Night” with Rybak on both violin and vocals. The wrapping includes everything from big band to a lot of strings and good vocal help from the group Pust and I don’t doubt for one second, that Rybak is sincere about this.

Written by Kine Hult. Link to original article with Spotify-links here

Found by Marit Olavsdatter. Translation by Venche Mellemstrand. English revision by Katie Anderson.

Cozy fiddle Christmas

Alexander Rybak, Christmas tales

Norwegian Grand Prix winners have done well in the Christmas- album business before, so it is probably only fair that a Rybak variant came along too. It is, not unexpectedly, the fiddle-playing that makes this album stand out a little, from the now-overflowing basket of mediocre popversions of “played- to- death”- songs.

Rybak has a warm and charming style, and he never tries to “invent the traditions” of Christmas again.